Can opener



Patented Mar. 3, 1 925.

" UNITED STATES 1,528,166 PATENT OFFICE.

OLE K. ROGNE, OF RAYMOND, WASHINGTON.

CAN OPENER.

Application filed October 23, 1923. Serial No. 670,224.

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to can openers and consists of acan opener of the type which is designed for cutting the side walls of a can closely adjacent to the head. The object of my invention is to provide in a simple construction, a can opener which will cleanly and easily cut the side wall of.a can closely adjacent to thehead, thus removing the head entirely and providing a discharge opening for the can of the fulldiameter of the can, whereby the contents of the can may be removed without mutilation, if it happens to be of a rigid material.

My invention consists of certain novel constructions and combinations of parts which have been illustrated in the drawings, and which will be hereinafter described in the specification and the patentable features thereof specifically defined in the claims.

invention embodied in the construction which I now prefer.

The accompanying drawings show my Figure 1 is an edge view of the can opener, showing it as first applied to the can;

Figure 2 is a face ortop view of the can.

opener, showing it as it is used for first entering the blade within the can.

Figure 3 is a face. View of the device, showing the manner in whlch 1t 1s employed in cutting the remainder of the can,

Figures 4 and 5 are, respectively, edge and face views of a modified type of 'construction in which the more essential'fear' tures of my invention are embodied.

In the type of construction shown in I Figures 1, 2 and3, the handle and main body of the can opener is composed of a flat strip'of metal which is bent upon it bar form the two sides land 10 which are secured together but in spaced relation, as by means of rivets or bolts 14: and spacers placed between the two bars. The bar 1 has its ends shaped to form the cutter. The shape preferred is one which roughly resembles a horn, as is shown at 13. This is sharpened upon both side-edges and across its end so as to form a, cutting tool.

Upon the end of the other side bar.10 is secured a link 2 which is pivoted thereto as by the pivot pin 20 and has its outer end bent over sharply so'as to form a short hook or flange 21. The place of pivoting of this clamping hook and its length is so designed that the cutter maybe placed with the point of the knife 13 against the I side wall of the can andwith the hook 21 extending over the end of the can and engaging with the inner face of the crimped flange 60 by which the head 6 and the side wall or body 61 of the can are joined together. The type of can for the use upon which this cutter is designed, is that in which the heads and bodies are secured to gether by crimping, such can being ordinarily referred to in the trade as a sanitary can, which can has a projecting flange about its periphery.

When the'can opener has been placed in the positiondescribed it is then swung in such a direction as to force the tip of the cutting blade 13 through the side wall of the can. This link thus acts as a fulcrum upon which the cutting. blade swings to make the entrance cut in the can. The side projection of "itshooked end 21 stops short of the plane of the cutting blade 13. There- 7 afterthe can opener is advanced by a progressive step movement so as to push the cutting blade 13 under an uncut section of the side wall, much after the position shown in Figure 3. The arm 10 has a flange or lug fulcrum 3 projecting from its end closely adjacent and at one side of the end of the cutter 13, the same projecting so as to extend somewhat beyond the plane of the cutter 13. This forms a fulcrum bearing such that by an outward swinging of the handle the inner or concaved cutting edge of the cutter will cut the side wall of the can, by a movement from within outwardly. This movement is repeated until the entire periphery of the can has been cut. The head is thus severed in a cleanly regular manner from the body of the can and may be removed. The result of this form of cut is to very slightly flare outwardly the cut edge of the can body. The cut is, however, a regular smooth cut. The can may be thereafter used as a container or cup, if desired.

At the point where the cutting blade is forced into the can by the first step in the cutting operation, the side wall of the can is apt to be forced slightly inward. To remedy this and restore this edge to its circular shape I have provided a device which consists of an extension of the lug or flange 3, the same consisting of the end 30 which is bent into an approximation to parallel position with the lug 3. By placing this over the edge of the can it may be bent outward and the true circular conditionrestored at the point where it has been bent inward.

The fulcrum lug 3 is, in the type of con struction shown in Figures 4 and 5, represented by the short cylinders 4. These are secured to turn upon an arm 15 which lies alongside of and may be in the same plane with the cutting blade 13. Each of these carries an arm 40 which extends outwardly and is then bent towards the cutting blade forming a side extension 41 which corresponds in function with the hook 21 shown in the other figures. I have shown two of these members placed at opposite sides of the blade 16. Only one of these is strictly essential. The provision of two, one at each side, in which the arms 40 extend in different directions, makes it possible to use the cutter for cutting in either direction about the can. One of these would be used when cutting right-handedly and the other when cutting left-handedly. I prefer that both of the members 4, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, be secured so as to turn together. This would be accomplished by fixing them upon the pivot pin 42 and having the pivot pin 42 turn in the arm 16.

It may be noted that the outer end edge of the arm 12 is slightly turned over in a direction away from the cutting blade 13. The object of this is to make sure that the blade 12 will ride over the end of the can. This serves to hold the cutting blade close up to the under side of the head and prevents the possibility of the'blade running downwardly or away from the head.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A can opener having a double edge cutting blade, a side projecting fulcrum lug.

adapted to engage the outer side face of the can when cutting with one edge of the blade, and a pivotally secured hooked clamp finger adapted to hook over the inner face of the head seam when entering the cutting blade within the can.

2. A can opener having a crescent-shaped cutting blade sharpened on both side edges, a fulcrum lug fixedly located adjacent to and laterally spaced from the inner concave side of the tip of the cutting blade and a fulcrum finger having a hook at its outer end located outwardly of the fulcrum lug and adapted to engage the inner face of the seamed rim of the can head when first inserting the cutting blade within the can.

3. A can opener having a cutting blade, a side projecting fulcrum lug adapted to engage the can side and a pivoted fulcrum finger having a hooked end adapted to engage the inner face of the head seam of the can.

4. A can opener comprising a flat bar bent upon itself to bring its ends adjacent each other to thereby form a handle, said ends being slightly separated, one end being given curved edges which are sharpened to form cutting edges, the other end having a face projecting fulcrum lug and a fulcrum link pivoted to the same end and having a hooked end adapted to engage the inner face of the head seam of the can.

5. A can opener having a double edged cutting blade adapted to enter the can and cut its wall from within outwardly, and a guide blade slightly spaced from and in a plane parallel with the cutting blade, the guide blade overlapping the main cutting edge of the cutting blade, and a fulcrum projecting from the guide blade and spaced laterally of the outer end of the main cutting edge of the cutting blade.

6. A can opener having a cutting blade and a guide blade slightly spaced apart in substantially parallel planes, two fulcrum members extending from the face of the guide plate which is towards the plane of the cutting blade and spaced toclear its cutting edges, one of said fulcrum members extending beyond the plane of the cutting blade and the other stopping short of the said plane, the latter being positioned more remote from the base of the cutting blade, whereby it may be engaged with the inner face of the end bead of the can while the other is without the can side. Y

7. A can opener having a horn-shaped cutting blade sharpened on both side edges and its end, a guide blade slightly spaced from the cutting blade and two fulcrum members projecting from the guide blade towards the plane of the cutting blade, one of said fulcrums being laterally spaced from the outer end of the concaved edge of the cutting blade and projecting to engage the outer side 7 of the can when cutting the same, the other fulcrum being located to overlap and engage the inner face of the end head when the blade tip engages the outer face ofthe can,

' 8. A can opener having a cutting and piercing blade and a fulcrum lug adapting it to make a circumferential out about the can body and having an ear bent upon itself to form two slightly spaced substantially and at one side of said blade and Well be- 1 parallel members adapted to embrace the yond the cutting plane thereof, the end edge cut edge of the can body to permit bending of the guide blade opposite the cutting thereof to modify its contour. blade being slightly turned outward away 9. A can opener having a cutting blade from the cutting blade.

7 and a guide plate secured back from their Signed at Raymond, Pacific County,

ends in slightly separated planes, the guide Washington, this 15th day of October, 1923. plate having a fulcrum lug projecting from the face which is toward the cutting blade 7 OLE K. ROGNE. 

